Kochi, Jan 14: The Kerala High Court on Friday said prima facie, it was of the opinion that malls don't have the right to collect parking fees and asked Kalamassery municipality whether it had issued any license to the Lulu International shopping mall at Ernakulam for the same.
Justice P V Kunhikrishnan, while hearing a plea that the mall was illegally collecting parking fees from customers, however, did not ask the mall to stop the collection but said it would be at their risk.
"As per the Building Rules, sufficient area for parking space is necessary for constructing a building. Parking space is part of the building. The building permit is issued on condition that there will be parking space. Based on this undertaking the building is constructed. After constructing the building, whether the owner of the building can collect parking fee is the question. Prima facie I am of the opinion that it is not possible," the court said in its order.
The court has asked the municipality to file a statement about its stand regarding the issue and posted the matter for further hearing on January 28.
"Further collection of the parking fee by respondent (Lulu Mall) for parking vehicles in the area which is earmarked in the building permit for parking will be subject to the result of the final decision of this writ petition. But I make it clear that they can collect the parking fee at their risk," the court said.
Petitioner Pauly Vadakkan, a film director, has contended that the mall's management was responsible for providing free parking to customers.
Vadakkan moved the high court after Rs 20 as parking fees was collected from him when he had visited the mall on December 2.
He has alleged that the mall staff closed the exit gates and threatened him when he initially refused to pay the amount.
"The parking area in a commercial complex is a public place meant for the purpose of the customers visiting that commercial complex and the 1st respondent (Lulu) in no way can collect parking fees for the same," it was contended.
However, this contention was opposed by Lulu's lawyer, who said that the mall has a license.
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Kolkata: Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra found herself at the center of a social media storm following a recent interview where her response to a question about her morning energy source sparked widespread debate. Moitra's answer, which some interpreted as 'sex' and others as 'eggs', triggered a flurry of reactions and discussions online.
The ambiguity surrounding Moitra's response and the subsequent varying interpretations quickly gained traction on social media platforms. While some individuals found humor in the situation, others raised concerns about the appropriateness of Moitra's answer, particularly given the context of the interview.
In an effort to address the controversy, journalist Tamal Saha, who conducted the interview, took to Twitter to clarify that Moitra had indeed responded with 'eggs' as her source of energy, not 'sex'. Saha expressed frustration over the distortion of Moitra's words and suggested deliberate tampering with the audio to create confusion.
The incident prompted responses from various quarters, including Congress spokesperson Mita Chakraborty, who condemned the manipulation of Moitra's interview response. Chakraborty emphasized that Moitra had clearly stated 'eggs' as her energy source and criticized the dissemination of false information to target the MP.
Additionally, D-Intent Data, the Propaganda and Fake News Detection Centre, a news data research organization focusing on neutral fact-checking and intent analysis, weighed in on the controversy. They shared their analysis, affirming that Moitra's response had been misrepresented, with the intention of targeting her politically.
When the journalist asked her what her energy source was in the morning, She replied eggs.
— D-Intent Data (@dintentdata) April 18, 2024
INTENT: Political Influencers are circulating videos of TMC candidate Mahua Moitra with false claims to target her. (2/2)https://t.co/AWK0dqpErL
Let me clarify, since this is my interview.
— Tamal Saha (@Tamal0401) April 18, 2024
I asked @MahuaMoitra : What’s your source of energy in the morning.
Mahua Moitra replied : EGGS …(anda, dim)
This is ridiculous how the bhakt mandali has distorted it to make it sound like s*x. The audio is being tampered…
How low can the political narrative go?
— Mita Chakraborty (@mitachakraborti) April 18, 2024
I am not a TMC Supporter, but this harassment has to stop. @MahuaMoitra clearly said “eggs” being the secret of her energy, and it got distorted, no sensible politician will speak about sex life in a political interview! #MahuaMoitra